PRINCETON, NJ -- Despite the recent drop in the U.S. fertility rate, Americans' attitudes about having children have remained unchanged over the past 23 years. More than nine in 10 adults say they already have children, are planning to have children, or wish that they had had children.
Phylum. Starfish belong to the phylum Echinodermata, which is the largest phylum without any members that live on land or in fresh water. Echinoderms have five-point radial symmetry as adults, but are bilaterally symmetrical as larvae. They have an endoskeleton consisting of calcareous plates that often include spines.upiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images. Although fish and starfish both belong to the kingdom Animalia -- which is the largest division of taxonomic classification -- starfish lack a spine, and therefore belong to a different phylum than true fish.
Starfish are not mollusks, but many of them eat mollusks, using their arms to pry open the shells. Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images. Starfish belong to the phylum Echinodermata.Mollusks are a separate phylum of animals.Although both phyla are made up of invertebrates, differences in their anatomy are why starfish are classified as echinoderms and not mollusks. Echinoderms have spiny skin and many physical attributes that are unique in the animal kingdom.ollusks are a separate phylum of animals. Although both phyla are made up of invertebrates, differences in their anatomy are why starfish are classified as echinoderms and not mollusks. Echinoderms have spiny skin and many physical attributes that are unique in the animal kingdom.